Solid-phase glycosylation of peptide templates and on-bead MAS-NMR analysis: perspectives for glycopeptide libraries

The efficient solid-phase glycosylation of amino acid side chains (serine (Ser), threonine (Thr), and tyrosine (Tyr)) in peptides was demonstrated with a variety of glycosyl trichloroacetimidate donors in high yields and purities. A novel photolabile linker, with no chiral centre, was introduced to facilitate analysis by both matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry and nanoprobe magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR spectroscopy. Product analysis by nanoprobe MAS NMR spectroscopy, LC-MS and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry of the glycosylation reactions indicated that the reactivity order of the hydroxy side-chain functions of amino acids in peptides on the solid-phase was Tyr>Ser>Thr. The nearly quantitative glycosylation yields and the efficient on-bead product analysis by nanoprobe MAS NMR spectroscopy have made a truly solid-phase approach for the synthesis and analysis of glycopeptide libraries possible.     

Diffusion of reagents in macrobeads

A simple and effective method of measuring diffusion rates of various acylating reagents in macro beads (in this work diameters greater than 570 microm) of amino-functionalized resins is presented. The extent of diffusion at various points of time was determined by treating beads with a staining reagent ("chloranil", 2,3,5,6-tetrachloro-1,4-benzoquinone) that colored the regions of the beads that had not yet been permeated by reagent (the central part of the beads). The volume of unstained resin (permeated part) was compared with the volume of the stained part, and diffusion rate constants were calculated. Factors influencing diffusion such as reagent concentration, solvent, temperature, resin type, and mechanical effects were investigated. The results showed that diffusion was promoted by increased temperature, good swelling of the resin, small reagents, and high concentrations but not by sonication or mechanical agitation.     

Cation selective ion channels formed by macrodiolide antibiotic elaiophylin in lipid bilayer membranes

The macrodiolide antibiotic elaiophylin (1) forms stable, long-lasting cation selective ion channels in planar lipid bilayer membranes prepared from soybean phosphatidylcholine. Current of the single ion channel displayed two sublevels corresponding to the two substates of the channel conductance: a slow substate, with about 5 s of mean dwell time in the open state at 40% level of the total amplitude conductance, and a fast substate of higher conductance with dwell times in the open and closed state of about 0.1 s. Amplitude conductances of the single ion channels in 200 mM of LiCl, NaCl, KCl, RbCl and CsCl were 75, 140, 220, 240 and 226 pS, and the conductance was linear function of the electrolyte concentration. Ratios of cation to anion permeabilities of the channel for NaCl and KCl were 8+/-2 and >24, respectively. A molecular model of the channel structure is suggested.     

Separation of glyceride positional isomers by silver ion chromatography

Separation of triglyceride and diglyceride positional isomers by silver ion high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with an evaporative light-scattering detector is described. The triglyceride isomers had a fatty acid composition of CLC and CCL, where C and L were caprylic acid and linoleic acid, respectively. Diglyceride isomers, 1,2(2,3)-diglyceride and 1,3-diglyceride, which contained caprylic acid were separated too. A solvent system based on n-hexane, 2-propanol, ethyl acetate, and acetonitrile with a flow-rate of 0.8 ml/min was developed. Calibration curves of CLC and CCL were achieved with triolein as internal standard. Using this method, the incorporation of linoleic acid onto specific a position of glycerol backbone can be monitored.     

17O solid-state NMR and first-principles calculations of sodium trimetaphosphate (Na3P3O9), tripolyphosphate (Na5P3O10), and pyrophosphate (Na4P2O7)

The assignment of high-field (18.8 T) (17)O MAS and 3QMAS spectra has been completed by use of first-principles calculations for three crystalline sodium phosphates, Na 3P 3O 9, Na 5P 3O 10, and Na 4P 2O 7. In Na 3P 3O 9, the calculated parameters, quadrupolar constant ( C Q), quadrupolar asymmetry (eta Q), and the isotropic chemical shift (delta cs) correspond to those deduced experimentally, and the calculation is mandatory to achieve a complete assignment. For the sodium tripolyphosphate Na 5P 3O 10, the situation is more complex because of the free rotation of the end-chain phosphate groups. The assignment obtained with ab initio calculations can however be confirmed by the (17)O{ (31)P} MAS-J-HMQC spectrum. Na 4P 2O 7 (17)O MAS and 3QMAS spectra show a complex pattern in agreement with the computed NMR parameters, which indicate that all of the oxygens exhibit very similar values. These results are related to structural data to better understand the influence of the oxygen environment on the NMR parameters. The findings are used to interpret those results observed on a binary sodium phosphate glass.     

Highly efficient water‐soluble visible light photoinitiators

The monoacylphosphineoxide (MAPO) salts Na‐TPO and Li‐TPO and the bisacylphosphineoxide (BAPO) salts BAPO‐ONa and BAPO‐OLi define an important and in the latter case a new class of water‐soluble photoinitiators (PIs) for radical polymerization. These compounds showed excellent water‐solubility of at least 29 g/L for Na‐TPO and up to 60 g/L for BAPO‐ONa in deionized water, thus exceeding the solubility of the state of the art PI for water‐based systems Irgacure 2959 ( I2959 ) 6‐ to 12‐fold. However, biocompatibility, storage stability, and reactivity were equally important to replace the state of the art compounds. Concerning these properties, the MAPO and BAPO salts were at least in the same range (biocompatibility, stability) or showed even better results (reactivity) and had the additional advantage of visible light initiation. Na‐TPO and Li‐TPO achieved double bond conversions of an aqueous solution of N‐acryloylmorpholine over 97% with broad band irradiation (320–500 nm), Li‐TPO showed additionally very good biocompatibility (LC₅₀ = 3.1 mmol/L) and BAPO‐OLi showed highest reactivity with visible light irradiation. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54, 473–479     

Surface investigation of intermetallic PdGa(111)

The intermetallic PdGa is a highly selective and potent catalyst in the semihydrogenation of acetylene, which is attributed to the surface stability and isolated Pd atom ensembles. In this context PdGa single crystals of form B with (111) orientation were investigated by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), X-ray photoelectron diffraction (XPD), and low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) to study the electronic and geometric properties of this surface. UPS and thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS) were used to probe the chemisorption behavior of CO. The PdGa(111) surface exhibits a (1 × 1) LEED and a pronounced XPD pattern indicating an unreconstructed bulk-truncated surface. Low-temperature STM reveals a smooth surface with a (1 × 1) unit cell. No segregation occurs, and no impurities are detected by XPS. The electronic structure and the CO adsorption properties reveal PdGa(111) to be a bulk-truncated intermetallic compound with Pd-Ga partial covalent bonding.     

Proton bound homodimers and heterodimers of amides and amines in the gas phase. Equilibrium studies by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance spectrometry

By injection of the proton bound homodimer [DMF.H+.DMF] of N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) generated in an external ion source into a mixture of DMF and a second base within the cell of a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) spectrometer the equilibria between [DMF.H+.DMF] and the other possible proton bound dimers [DMF.H+.base] and [base.H+.base] have been studied for 13 different bases. Strongly polar bases like aliphatic amides and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) exchange both DMF in [DMF.H+.DMF] by a two step process, while the almost non-polar amines exchange only one DMF. If the base is a primary or secondary amine, the proton bound heterodimer [DMF.H+.amine] reacts further by the addition of one DMF to create a proton bound trimer [(DMF)2.H+.amine]. The affinity deltaG(DMFH+) of the bases towards protonated DMF relative to neutral DMF depends linearly on the difference deltaGB of the gas phase basicity of DMF and the other base, but different correlation lines are obtained for polar and non-polar ligands (deltaGDMFH+ = 0.44GB(base)-375 [kJ/mol] (r = 0.97) and deltaGDMFH+ = 0.46GB(base)-397 [kJ/mol] (r = 0.99), respectively). This different behavior is explained by a different character of the proton bridge in the heterodimers containing only polar ligands and those incorporating a non-polar ligand besides DMF. The former dimers contain a more or less symmetric proton bridge while the latter can be viewed as a protonated base solvated by DMF. The available data have been used to calculate the molecular pair gas phase basicity of DMF and the 13 bases used and to estimate the dissociation energies of the bonds of the proton bridge in various proton bound heterodimers.